Feathering paddle-wheel



(No Model.)

I D. J. BLASIER.

PEATHERING PADDLE WHEEL Patented May 1,1883.

UNITED STATES PATENT IOFFIQE.

DAVID J. BLASIER, OF WESTO NVILLE, NEV-YORIQ FEATHERING PADDLE-WHEEL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 276,662, dated May 1, 1883,

Application filed January 20, 1883.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DAVID J. BLASIER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Westonville, in the county of Oneida and State of New York, have invented certainnew and use fnl Improvements in Propeller-Wheels; and I do declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to whichit appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to that kind of propeller-wheel known as feathering paddlewheels 5 and it consists in the construction of the wheel and its parts and their combinations that'produce the result aimed at, as will be fully hereinafter described.

In the drawings, Figure 1 represents a partial side view of the wheel, showing the side view of the lower paddle or bucket in a perpendicular position and when it has the best hold upon the water, and the horizontal position in edge view of the upper bucket. Fig. 2 represents the inside view of one of the stationary heads, with a sectional view of the position of the buckets when the wheel is in revolution. Fig. 3 represents the inside and sectional edge -view ot the stationary head. Fig. 4 represents the inside heads of the wheel, showing the means by which the buckets are changed when the wheel is in revolution and Fig. 5 shows details of construction of the buckets and their attachments when placed in the wheel.

A represents the shaft of the wheel, and A represents any supports to the wheel in which proper bearings for the shaft are secured, and in which the shaft revolves.

B is a stationary head, a perfect circle in form, concentric wit-h the center of shaft A, which shaft passes through it and revolves in thecenter opening, b, thereof. This head'or plate has a channel, B, perfectly circular in form, but eccentric with relation to thecenter opening, b, of headB, and the pathway of this channel is bounded by side walls, 11 and b, that form the sides of the channel and tracks or treads upon which the friction-wheels hereinafter to bedescribed bear and travel in the (No model.)

which the shaft A passes, and to which shaft,

the heads are secured by means of the holdin g-screws c, that pass through the thim bles and bear upon the shaft, or by any other secure means. When necessary the head 0 in Fig. 1 may be constructed the same way that head 0 is, by having as many half-circles or about half-circle grooves or openings 0 as there are buckets in the wheel, and of the same or about the same diameter as the channel B" in head 13 is wide. Head C has bearings constructed to receive the center pivot of that end of the bucket entering it in a fixed bearing concentrio with the center of shaft A. These bearings are represented in Fig. 4. at c".

D represents the buckets or feathering paddles, which are of wood or other suitable material, are secured between flanges 60, that project inward and centrally across the circular cast heads E, having center pivots or bearings, e, thereon, and projecting outward and pass through the heads (3 and G, and upon which the buckets or paddles rotate.

FF are revolving friction-wheels freely revolving upon short pivotsff, that project outward from heads E and through the half-circle grooves c in heads O, and at their outer ends the wheels F are placed. F enter into the channel B of head 13-, and as the wheel is made to revolve, the frictionwheels F travel around in channel B, which is eccentric, causing the friction-wheels, that are pivoted away from the centers of the width of the buckets to pivotsf, which are guided by the half-circle grooves, to revolve, causing the buckets to be in the positions in the revolution of the wheel as seen in Fig. 2-that is,

when the. lower bucket is perpendicular the top bucket is horizontal, and the intermediate buckets on either side are in the positions as therein seen when the wheel is in revolution in the direction of the arrows, each bucket making a quarter-revolution on its pivots, and

These wheels then returning back to its original position at ing half-circle grooves c, the centers of which 0 each revolution of the wheel.

A wheel thus constructed and in motion carries little or no dead-water, has very little weight of water to lift or to resistits movements,

and at the same time the buckets are in the right position to take hold of the unbroken water and exert the best force to propel the boat to which it is attached by the exertion of the minimum of power, can be used as side wheels to steamers, and is especially adapted to propel a boat as a stern-propeller, will be equally efficacious when fully submerged as when but partially so, will reverse its revolution, and is specially intended as a means for propelling boats in canals when completely or nearly submerged, as by the positions of the buckets in the revolution of the wheel little or no agitation of the water is produced, even when the boats are moving at a rate of speed greater than has yet been practically attained in canals; hence there will be no washing of the banks of the canal in using this wheel.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1s-

1. The combination, in a propeller-wheel such as above described, of the stationary head B, having eccentric channel B, head 0, havagree with the center of the width of said channel B, buckets D, centrally pivoted at e, and friction-wheels F on short shaftsf, that are eccentric to the center pivot of the bucket, substantially as and for the purposes described.

2. In a propeller-wheel such as above described, the rotating and feathering buckets D, secured between flanges e e, that project inward and are integral with and centrally across the circular heads E, which have outwardly-projecting pivots e, upon which the buckets rotate, substantially as and for the purposes described.

3. In a propeller-wheel such as above described, the rotating and feathering bucket D, caused to partially revolve in one direction by the friction-wheel F in channel B and the circles c in head 0, and then reversing its rotation back to its original position when the wheel completes a full revolution, substantially in the manner described.

In testimony whereofI atfix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

DAVID J. BLASIER. 

